The week in review

Worst display of the state slogan, "Virginia is for lovers": A Virginia couple is arrested in New York after allegedly having sex in the vestibule of St. Patrick's Cathedral while another man provided live radio commentary, part of a WNEW contest challenging couples to copulate in 54 high-risk locations.

Best name for a woman caught in a public sex act: Loretta Lynn Harper, 35, of Alexandria, is arrested in the St. Pat's incident.

Worst national trend to hit town: Holy Comforter's Father Julian Goodman is removed after allegations that he abused a teenage boy in the '70s.

Worst national trend to hit close to home: Nine-year-old Jennifer Short remains missing after the discovery of her murdered parents in Henry County, south of Roanoke.

Worst welcome for thousands of incoming UVA students: Charlottesville could be days away from nonessential water restrictions, as reservoir levels continue to drop.

Worst time to rethink a plea bargain: Coal tower killer Craig Nordensen tries to take back his guilty plea in the killing of two people so he can have a trial and get his story out. The judge flatly refuses his request.

Best local-boy-makes-good story:Enfant terrible Trevor Moore, who hosted his own local public access television show before setting off for bright lights, big city, has landed an internship under Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, the Daily Progress reports.

Worst recent example of refusing to take personal responsibility for one's actions: A 272-pound man sues McDonald's, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Burger King for health problems resulting from his obesity.

Best quote in the ongoing sparring among Foxfield, Albemarle County, and the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, which is holding a September 12 hearing on Foxfield's liquor license: "It is legal for people to consume alcohol in Virginia," says Foxfield official Patrick Butterfield, questioning why an organization that doesn't sell liquor even needs a liquor license. "I think, quite frankly, the onus is on the law-enforcement people to enforce the law." Peter Savodnik has the story in the Progress.

Worst meddling in academic affairs suffered by a UVA rival: The University of North Carolina is sued for requiring incoming freshman to read Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations by Michael Sells.

Worst break for a housing activist, part 2: Joy Johnson resigns from the public housing board after her sons who had been banned from her apartment are found there with drugs for the second time this summer.

Best development for civil libertarians: The Justice Department backs off from Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System), which would have encouraged a citizen spy network.

Best opportunity for a state university to act as an INS watchdog: UVA's International Studies Office will track its foreign students because of a federal mandate for schools that want to accept international students, according to an Eric Swensen article in the Progress.

Worst surprise for Delta Connection-Comair passengers who've lost their luggage: A sign at the Comair counter at the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport tells customers to ring bell for service. Three do so August 4, only to discover that the bell is not attached to anything it's merely taped to the counter.